www.terraditoscana.com

Towns of the area

Gambassi Terme

The
municipal territory of Gambassi extends fro 83,06 square kilometres in
the middle hilly zone of the Valle dell'Elsa. Feudal centre then Medieval
Podesta Office abolished with the Leopoldina reform, it was raised
to community in 1917 when with the districts of Varna, Catignano
and Castagno it was detached from the municipality of Montaione. From
1977 the new name of the municipality is Gambassi Terme.

In the Medieval era it was owned by some small local Feudal
Lords, the Gambassi castle from 1037 started to become the property
of the Bishops of Volterra through donations and acquisitions which
were concluded in 1115. In the XII century next to Gambassi
Vetus, placed lower down, was Gambassi Novum, built on the
hill were it is found today, in a safer position, and the men of the two
places united themselves with stipulated agreements in 1150 and 1170.
In 1244 Federico II gave the investiture of the castle to Gualtieri
Upezzinghi: this however did not impede the Bishops of Volterra
in continuing to exercise their Lordly rights, the inhabitants
of Gambassi considered them so insupportable that in 1268 they
subjugate themselves to San Gimignano traditional enemy of Volterra.
This naturally provoked a grievance between the two rivals, culminating
in an open battle in 1275, and concluding in 1280 with an arbitrational
ruling. In 1293, with the peace of Fecucchio, Gambassi
was detached from the San Gimignano territory and united to the Fiorentino
county thus constituting a community together with Catignano, Pulicciano
and Montignoso. In 1432 it was occupied by the Visconti militia,
who sacked it. In 1435 it was united to the Podesta Office of Barbialla;
in 1529 and in 1530 it suffered damage in the war which gave origin to
the Duchy of Firenze. With the Leopoldina reform of 1774 the Podesta Office
was suppressed and Gambassi was annexed to the community of Montaione,
from which it regained autonomy in 1917.